Chapter 10
I do not own these characters, they belong to J.K Rowling I just borrowed them for this story. So sadly everything except the plot belongs to the author of the great book series Harry Potter
The woods around me were cold and dark; it was so dark that I couldn't see my hand, even if I held it up in front of my face. I didn't dare use my wand for light just in case the Dark Lord had some of his followers patrolling the woods surrounding the camp. The deeper I got into the woods, the darker it got, and the scarier it got.
The occasional owl would let out a loud hoot making me jump, and the sounds of sticks breaking and leaves crunching under my feet filled my ears. Every little noise freaked me out. Every little chirp from a cricket made my heart beat faster, and every time a lone wolfs howl filled the night sky a tear came to my eye. But I just had to keep going, I had to do it for the Pack, for Dumbledore, and most importantly, I had to do it for Fenrir so we could have a future together.
The later at night it got, the colder it got, and I was seriously regretting leaving my jacket in the tent that Harry and Ron shared with me before the whole 'you're my Mate so either mate with me or die' thing with Fenrir. The cold seeped into my bones sending shivers racing up and down my spine, and the wind howled through the trees, giving the night an eerie feel. I kept walking though, even with all my instincts screaming at me to return to Fenrir and the safety the pack could provide me with.
"Alright Hermione," I whispered to myself. "You can do this, there's nothing to be afraid of. The dark isn't a problem you got over that fear when you went to Hogwarts for your first year. And the animals are more scared of you than you are of them. So there's nothing to be afraid . . ." I trailed off as a loud howls filled the night air, stopping me in my tracks.
I didn't dare run in case I attracted their attention because they seemed very close. One I could fight off, but a whole pack all by myself? It was impossible, even for me, the brightest witch of the age. At the moment, I wished that I wasn't alone and that I had asked Fenrir to send Henry or someone else from the pack with me. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so terrified of being alone in the woods at night with only the creatures of the night to keep me company. The wolves sent out another loud howl up at the moon, and I started to walk again only this time a lot quicker.
"Not much farther, not much farther, not much farther." I chanted under my breath as I continued on my way through the woods. As I continued to weave my way around trees, I thought I heard the sound of footsteps behind myself, so I stopped and listened, but I didn't hear anything so I continued on my way. Again I thought I heard footsteps behind myself so I started walking faster. The sounds of footsteps got louder and faster the quicker I walked, and it continued like this until I was full out sprinting through the dark wood. Branches scratched my body as I ran while weaving my way through the trees.
I discreetly drew my wand as I stopped behind a tree and waited for the person or animal to catch up with me. When I peered around the tree trunk, I saw 5 wolves sniffing around on the ground and following my scent. When the one who was in the lead got closer to the tree was hiding behind, I yelled, "Stupify!" It struck him in the chest making him fall to the ground, attracting the other wolves and alerting them of my presence. With a loud growl they all charged at me and I ran away as fast as my feet would carry me.
As I ran, a few of them tried to get their mouths around my ankles, and on of them succeeded in bringing me down. With a pained cry I fell to the ground and shot a Petrificus Totalus at the wolf, knocking him off of me, only to have his body replaced as another one leaped at me and got its jaw around my wrist effectively snapping it before I shot a Stupify at it. When the last two wolfs began to ascend onto me, I shot a muffled curse at the both of them, knocking them out. I rested my head back onto the ground to regulate my breathing.
Once my breathing was normal, I painfully got to my feet and leaned against the closest tree and let a few tears fall before I put my wand away and clutched my wrist to my body before limping through the trees again. After I got far enough away from the camp so that it would be safe to Apparate and I couldn't be traced, I focused on Order Headquarters and felt the familiar tug in my gut that came from Apparating and I Apparated to my destination.
When I landed unsteadily on my feet a few blocks away from headquarters, since you couldn't Apparate any closer because of the wards, I cried out and sobbed as pain flowed through my ankle and wrist. I was starting to get dizzy from blood lose, so I knew I had to get at least the doorstep so I could be safe, so I limped as fast as I could. Number 12 Grimmwauld place came into my view; my breath was coming in short pants. "Almost there," I whispered.
When I was on the doorstep, I pushed the door open; I heard soft voices, so I followed them into the kitchen. When I pushed open the door to the kitchen, I saw all of the order members talking; I was obviously interrupting a meeting. The first person to see me was Mrs. Weasley, and when she saw me she stopped talking to Tonks and rushed towards me, where I promptly collapsed into her arms.
"Mrs. Weasley," I said, and my voice attracted everyone's attention around the room.
"Hermione!" two voices simultaneously yelled, before I was crushed between two boys, one had black hair and a lighting scar, and the other had messy red hair a freckles covering his nose.
"Harry! Ron! Your O.K, I was so worried." I cried.
When they both pulled back, I swayed on my feet and grabbed onto Ron with my good arm.
"You're hurt," Harry said as he led me to the closest chair. When I saw Remus, I made sure my hair was covering my mark and I gave him a shaky smile which he returned, just a steadier version of my smile.
Mrs. Weasley came bustling up to me and cast a few healing spells on my ankle and wrist, stopping the blood flow and knitting the skin back together, even though both bites left a scar on my body, before she handed me a blood replenishing potion and putting a plate of food in front of me which I promptly scarfed down.
When I was done eating, every Order Member was looking at me curiously, but it was Ron who had the courage to ask the question that they were all wondering. "Where have you been?"
I knew this question was coming up, but I still wasn't prepared to answer it truthfully so I answered as cryptically as I possibly could, "Somewhere safe."
"That's not good enough." Kingsley spoke. "How do we know that you haven't led Death Eaters to our headquarters?"
"I haven't!" I protested.
"But we don't know that!" he yelled.
The anger was boiling in my body like I had never felt before and I had no control over my actions as I stood up and yelled, "I have been with a pack of werewolves and they kept me safe! Do. Not. Doubt. Me. Kingsley!" I growled.
It was Remus who spoke up next, "you're lying. There are only male werewolves. They kill any Witch, Wizard, or Muggle that stumbles into their camp. So you must be lying."
"You forgot about an exception Remus." I growled.
"I'm a werewolf, I have forgotten no . . ."
With that I pulled my hair back and showed everyone in the room my mark. "Oh really now." I told him. "What about their Mates?"
Silence followed that sentence as I draped my hair behind my neck, showing everyone my mark.
"Who?" Dumbledore asked as he laid a hand on my shoulder that didn't have my mark.
I stared right into Remus' eyes as I answered, "Fenrir Greyback. I am Fenrir Greyback's Mate and his packs Alpha Female."